About

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Belvedere House (or 'The Belvedere' as referred to by locals) has a long history of providing quality and welcoming hospitality to visitors from all over the world to this stunning AONB area of the north of England.

History

The Belvedere is a traditional early-Victorian stone house built in the time when the village was expanding due to the lead mining industry which peaked in the 19th century and which formed the characterful village you see today. Click on the link to read more about this amazing place and its history The Village Walk – A Walk Through Time. Middleton has a much earlier history, and the remains of the 13th century chapel can still be seen in the church grounds of the present day church of St. Mary’s opposite to the Belvedere. There is a lot of prehistory in the area too for those who wish to find it such as Kirk Carrion, a bronze age burial ground being one of most iconic land features of Teesdale.

As with most buildings, over time the function of a building changes and there are plenty of examples of that in the village. Searching for the hidden clues of the past such as glint stones to prevent carriage wheels damaging buildings, old water fountains and troughs, and the old market cross for when a market was held opposite the Belvedere on Seed Hill, adds to the enjoyment of walking around the village and the wider area.

The Belvedere originally provided accommodation for managers of the lead mines and then was turned into a hotel around the turn of the century known as the Temperance Hotel then, before its name changed to Belvedere Hotel providing accommodation for workers building some of the many reservoirs in the area in the mid-1950s and 60s.

Present day

After standing unused and derelict for many years, in the late 1980s Jenny and Michael Finn bought the house and lovingly and sympathetically changed it back into a family home, the Belvedere House. In the late 1990s, the family home was opened up to provide B&B accommodation to visitors and weary Pennine Way walkers, run by Jenny Finn for many years until her retirement in 2014. Changing from a long career in teaching in 2018, her daughter Clare, reopened the B&B and now runs the successful and popular B&B while still providing a family home to the Finns.

Location

Middleton-in-Teesdale is a working village and there is nothing sleepy about it! The Belvedere is situated centrally in the village and easy to find, with off-street parking available for those travelling by car. It is close to all the local amenities, such as food and craft shops, antiques and book shops, tea rooms, restaurants, an excellent children’s park, a pharmacy and medical centre, and there is an hourly bus service to Barnard Castle town, another great location to explore.

There are plenty of short and long walks you can do with Middleton as your starting point. Middleton is one of the Pennine Way Trail’s stopping points between Dufton and Tan Hill of which many guests staying at the Pennine Way are on. Cycling, birdwatching and fishing are also many of the outdoor pursuits people like to do, along with canoeing the River Tees, motorbike trails along the winding dale roads and botany searches for rare plants such as the Blue Gentian. Whatever the purpose of your visit is to Teesdale, The Belvedere House B&B will offer you a warm welcome.

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